


A Wholesome Coffee Shop AU

by FrostyEmma



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Romantic Comedy, Bisexual Finn, Bisexual Male Character, Coffee Shops, Everyone Is Gay, F/M, Gay Space Rocks, M/M, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Star Wars is gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-07-25 21:24:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7547749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrostyEmma/pseuds/FrostyEmma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>The next day, Finn the Hot College Guy failed to make an appearance, to Rey’s intense disappointment. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Instead, the owner made an appearance, and she did not look happy. “Where’s that good for nothing layabout?” she demanded, arms folded.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Rey opened her mouth to ask if Mrs. Organa-Solo (dubbed ‘the General’ by some of the other employees) meant her husband or her son, but she immediately thought better of it and shrugged instead.</em>
</p><p>A wholesome coffee shop AU (for those who didn't know they needed one) set on the Jersey Shore, featuring all of your favorite characters (and probably a few that you hate), corny jokes, and some thirsty ogling. What more do you need? </p><p>Grab some cold brew (and a bag of on-sale Shoprite grapes), pull up a chair, and enjoy! Just don't get caught hiding in the supply closet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Wholesome Coffee Shop AU

**Author's Note:**

> This coffee shop AU, which I swore I would never ever write, kind of took on a life of its own. And was (proudly) written for FinnRey Fridays on tumblr. Originally posted on 22 July 2016, but what the hell, it needed a rerun.

After twenty minutes of fiddling with the fancy espresso machine - those damn Falcon models might have looked shiny, but they never worked _right_ \- Rey finally gave up and just smacked the faulty gasket with the pick tool in her hand.

The machine rumbled for a second, then hummed to life. A moment later, an experimental tap of one lever brought forth a steaming, fresh cup of overpriced espresso. 

“What did you do?” a cranky voice said behind her, and Rey turned to look at the General Manager with a big smile on her face.

“I bypassed the compressor!” She held up the pick tool and the hot cup of coffee. 

The General Manager - Rey tried calling him Mr. Solo once, but that had only served to make him even more grouchy, which she hadn’t previously thought possible - scowled. “Looks like you just mauled the o-ring with a right angle pick.”

“Yes, well.” Rey pushed the cup of coffee into his hands. “It worked. Coffee for all.”

The General Manager - Rey had also tried calling him Han once, what with that being his name and all, but he hadn’t seemed to like that either (“just call me Captain,” he had said, though Rey wasn’t sure if he had ever been in the Armed Forces or not) - sipped at the coffee, the scowl never leaving his face. “You’re lucky I like you, kid.”

Rey beamed at him. “Don’t I know it?”

Just another day at the Ackbar Brewtique. 

\---

Around noon, the door chime jangled, indicating a customer. Rey turned, half-eaten muffin in hand, just in time to watch the General Manager’s son slink into the place, a scowl plastered across his gaunt face.

Somehow when the General Manager scowled, it managed to look charming all the same. When his son Ben did it, it had the completely opposite effect.

Ben skulked over to the counter, leaned over the register, and started rooting around for something. A second later, he came up with a paper schedule in his hand.

“You know I could’ve just handed that to you?” Rey said, mouth full of chocolate chip muffin.

“Whatever,” Ben muttered, without looking up from the schedule.

Rey shrugged. “Just putting that out there.”

Ben slammed the schedule down on the counter suddenly, and Rey jumped a little bit. “This completely sucks. Look at this!” He jabbed angrily at the paper. “I’m on for Friday and Saturday night! I was going to Snoke’s on Saturday night!”

Rey stuffed another bite of muffin into her mouth. “What’s that? Some kind of hipster bar?”

Ben glowered at her. “Switch shifts with me, Rey!”

Rey glanced at the schedule; she was on for mornings through afternoon both Friday and Saturday. “Nah, I like my schedule.”

“I’m the General Manager’s son,” Ben said. “And the owner’s son. I can take whatever shift I want.”

Behind them, the door chime clanged gently, and Jessika Pava walked in, enormous straw tote bag hanging from her shoulder. She was already wearing her Ackbar Brewtique uniform.

Rey waved at her, then finished the last of the muffin and began licking the chocolate bits off her fingers. “I know who you are, Ben.”

“It’s _Kylo_ , dammit!” He swiped at the schedule, which only served to blow it gently to the floor behind the counter. Rey watched it fall with interest. “I’m a Knight of Ren!”

“Are you talking about your Warcraft guild again?” Jessika set her bag on the counter. “The one you’re always talking about with that pasty looking boyfriend of yours?”

Ben glared at her.

“What’s his name?” Jessika continued. “Hanks? Horks? I don’t know, I never get his name right on the cups.”

“It’s _Armitage_ ,” Ben snapped. 

Jessika blinked. “For serious? How do you get Honks out of Armitage?”

Ben pointed to Jessika and Rey in turn. “I hate the both of you.” He turned dramatically, a vision in black board shorts and a black rashguard, and stalked out of the brewtique, the door chime tinkling softly behind him.

Jessika looked at Rey. “What’s gotten him all deep into his feelings?”

\---

Business was slow that afternoon. Probably because most people were busily enjoying the pleasures of the Jersey Shore and could not be tempted away from the beach and the waves with the promises of hot coffee and baked treats.

Which Rey decided was totally weird, because they could always ice the coffee and there was never a bad time for a cranberry-orange scone. She and Jessika were each eating one right then, as a matter of fact.

“And so I told him, Poe, my guy, you really just need to suck it up and ask the dude out.” Jessika popped a piece of scone into her mouth. “But, like, he didn’t.”

Rey munched on her scone. “He’s shy.”

“He is shy.” Jessika nodded. “But shyness can be endearing to the right dude, you know? Anyway,” she waved vaguely at the air, “I’m taking him out to this Latinx club tonight - Cassian’s - so maybe he’ll get his groove on there. Oh, you should come.”

Rey scowled. “I’m a terrible dancer.”

“You are.” At Rey’s deepening scowl, Jessika smirked. “But you should still come. No one judges you on how well you dance. They’re too busy making sure they don’t look like fools.”

“I’ll think about it.” Rey said, right as the door chimed behind her.

“That’s a no,” Jessika said.

“That’s a customer.” Hastily Rey shoved the scone aside, wiped her fingers off on a (brown, recycled) napkin, and turned to witness the most gorgeous man she had ever seen walk into the brewtique.

“Oh, _fuck_ ,” Rey said breathlessly, as the man set down a very heavy looking backpack onto one of the chairs.

Jessika glanced at her. “I think you mean ‘good afternoon’ or even ‘welcome.’”

“Yeah.” Rey licked her lips. “That.”

“In a pinch,” Jessika continued, “you could even get away with ‘greetings.’”

The customer, wearing a pair of purple shorts and a blue t-shirt that was too tight to be legal, approached the counter and flashed a one-million watt smile.

“Oh, damn.” Rey gripped the counter behind her. She was pretty certain she had gone weak in the knees.

“Hi, ladies,” the customer said.

Rey stared wordlessly at him.

Jessika glanced between Rey and the customer, then cleared her throat. “She means ‘hi.’ She means ‘how are you?’ She means ‘what can I get you?’”

“Oh, yeah.” Rey cleared her suddenly dry throat. “Yeah, that. Uh, hi. What are… you?”

“Just a poor college student,” megawatt smile said. He gestured to the door with his thumb. “Taking summer classes at Monmouth.”

“How can I get you?” Rey said weakly, and Jessika snorted.

“Wow,” college boy said, smile broadening. “This is great. This is already my favorite coffee shop. I’m definitely coming back here.”

“Our iced coffees are really good,” Jessika said cheerfully. “And so are our scones.”

“I like my coffee hot,” he said, without taking his eyes off Rey. “Just like my scones.”

Rey fainted dead away right then and there.

Well, no, she didn’t do that. She wanted to, but she managed to muster herself long enough to pop a scone in the toaster oven (only fumbling with it once or twice) and grab a marker and a paper cup.

“Your name?” she asked politely, proud of herself for not demanding his number and address as well.

Another smile. “Finn.”

“Finn,” she repeated, and only just managed not to write ‘Finn the Hot College Guy’ on the cup.

Finn the Hot College Guy completed his order and took a seat at one of the tables, then emptied his backpack of several books and a laptop. A moment later, he seemed very quickly to be deep into his studies.

“Well?” Jessika nudged Rey. “Get his number. Or write your number on his cup.”

“I can’t do that.” Rey readied the coffee cup and the plate of warm scone.

Jessika frowned. “Why?”

“I just… I can’t.” Rey quickly delivered the goods to Finn the Hot College Guy, then retreated quickly behind the counter and spent a few minutes surreptitiously studying him.

“You can’t ask for his number,” Jessika hissed, “but you can totes ogle him as he eats?”

“I’m not ogling,” Rey insisted, and on Jessika’s raised eyebrow, added, “I’m just studying the landscape.”

Jessika snorted. “His landscape. His fine, fine landscape.” She gave Rey a sly look. “You know, if I weren’t a giant lesbian, I’d go for him myself.”

Rey looked at her. “But you are a giant lesbian. By your own admission.”

Jessika shrugged. “Bisexuality; it’s a thing. Maybe I’ll go for him anyway. You know, if you don’t.”

Rey shredded an entire napkin in seconds. 

\---

The next day, Finn the Hot College Guy failed to make an appearance, to Rey’s intense disappointment. 

Instead, the owner made an appearance, and she did not look happy. “Where’s that good for nothing layabout?” she demanded, arms folded.

Rey opened her mouth to ask if Mrs. Organa-Solo (dubbed ‘the General’ by some of the other employees) meant her husband or her son, but she immediately thought better of it and shrugged instead.

Luckily she was spared having to come up with any sort of answer by the appearance of Captain Solo, being dragged along by the leash of a giant, shaggy Pyrenean Mastiff.

“Hi, honey,” the Captain said, then held up a hand, trying to catch his breath.

The General glanced skeptically from him to the dog. “Have you been out walking the dog for the past few hours?”

“You know…” Captain Solo started to say, but his chest was still heaving. “You know Chewie gets cranky without his morning perambulation.”

“Yes, well.” The General sighed. “We have that franchise meeting shortly.”

The Captain studied her for a moment. “Did you change your hair?”

The General snorted. “A week ago, yeah. I got it dyed. Now, franchise meeting?”

“The Ackbar Brewtique will continue in perpetuity.” Captain Solo straightened, even puffed his chest out. “Long after I’m dead, the Ackbar Brewtique will continue. One new franchise every year, forever.”

“All right, all right.” The General rolled her eyes, but still swatted Captain Solo’s ass on the way out the door. “Let’s get this damn meeting over with.”

Rey watched them leave.

Ah, to be old and cranky, but still in love. 

\---

The day after, Rey shared a shift with Ben. Which largely meant that she worked, while Ben hid in the supply closet with his boyfriend. 

“I need more cups.” Rey tapped on the supply closet door, then pushed her way inside. 

Ben and _Armitage_ hastily patted down their hair and clothing, but Armitage still managed to give her a pissy, holier-than-thou look.

“This is not the time to go scavenging,” he spat, and Rey wondered if he had always sounded so pompous. “Scavenger.”

Rey just barely refrained from rolling her eyes. Well, no. She didn’t. She rolled them quite obviously. “I’m a barista.” She grabbed several sleeves of cups. “So is Ben.”

“It’s _Kylo_ ,” Ben insisted angrily.

“Oh my God.” Rey hastily left the closet, arms full of cups sleeved in flimsy plastic. “I can’t with that, _Kylo_.”

She made her way back to the front, clutching the cups, and Finn the Hot College Guy chose that moment to walk through the door.

Honestly, she wasn’t surprised at all that she lost her grip on the cup sleeves, and being that they were only wrapped in flimsy plastic, several of them scattered across the floor.

“Let me help you with that,” Finn insisted, and seconds later, the cups were stacked on the counter. “Shouldn’t there be someone helping you out?”

“Yeah, well.” Rey shrugged, flustered, and began re-stacking the cups randomly. “You can just have me. I mean, you just get me. I mean…”

Finn grinned.

Rey blew out a long, slow breath. “Okay, let’s try that again.” She was proud of herself for not screaming, ‘just take me now.’ “What can I get you?”

“Besides you?” Finn’s smiled broadened.

Rey died right then and there.

Well, no, she didn’t. She just stacked and restacked the cups for far longer than necessary.

“You know, not gonna lie, I don’t even like coffee that much.” Finn drummed his fingers on the countertop. “But it helps me study. Keeps me focused.”

Rey nodded. “So another coffee, black, with two sugars?”

Finn smiled again. God, he was beautiful. “You remembered.”

“It’s a pretty simple order.” Rey shrugged.

So did Finn. “I’m a pretty simple guy.” A beat, then, “I’ll take another baked treat, too. You pick.”

Rey looked at him. “You sure?”

Finn made his way over to a table. “I trust your judgment. And anyway, it’s a muffin. What’ve I got to lose?”

A moment later, Rey set down a cup of a coffee and a plate containing a slice of chocolate chip banana bread and two pink iced cake pops.

“A cake pop?” Finn looked up at her, another gorgeous smile on his face. “Two cake pops, even?”

“Well.” Rey hesitated. “One is for me. If…” She sucked in her breath, then plowed forward. “If you don’t mind the company.”

Without hesitation, Finn stood and swept a chair out for her. “Why would I mind the company?” He seated himself as Rey did the same. “Like to be honest, I could’ve gone to a different coffee shop, right? I’m just trying to study.”

Rey selected one of the cake pops. “Right?”

“But I picked this one again.” Finn shifted his gaze, smiling into his drink. “Because the company is nice.”

“Well…” Rey couldn’t help but smile. “That’s… that’s nice.” And before her mouth could run away with her, she took a bite of cake pop.

Finn did the same, and for a few moments, they ate baked goods in companionable silence. “So tell me about you,” he said around a mouthful of banana bread.

“Hmm.” Rey set the cake pop stick aside. “I go back to Willy P in the fall.”

“William Paterson?” Finn took another bite of banana bread. 

Rey nodded. “I’ll be a sophomore.”

“That’s kind of a hike from here.” Finn suddenly looked worried. “That’s a long way. Like an hour. You live up there in the fall?”

Rey shook her head. “No, I commute. I arrange it so I only have classes a few days a week.” She shrugged. “You know, I like it down here. And this job is really flexible.”

“So, uh… so…” Finn sipped at his coffee all casual-like. “You have a boyfriend up there? At Willy P? You have a boyfriend? Cute boyfriend?”

Rey looked at him. “Who wants to know?”

Finn chuckled at that. “Totally neutral third party.” He set the cup down. “Totally neutral.”

“Well, if the third party is totally neutral,” Rey slid her chair back and stood up, “then I guess my answer doesn’t matter.”

Finn opened his mouth to reply. The front door banged open so suddenly, the chime nearly bounced off the hook. A bearded man with wide eyes plowed into the brewtique, carrying two plastic shopping bags stuffed full of what appeared to be grapes.

“Professor?” Finn started.

“Rey!” the bearded man practically shouted.

Finn looked at Rey. “You two know each other?”

“He’s… my dad.” Rey frowned. “Probably.”

Finn raised an eyebrow. “Probably?”

Rey shrugged. “I didn’t grow up with him.”

The Professor dropped both bags of grapes down on table. “So Shoprite was having a monster sale on grapes. And I remembered that not only do I like grapes, one of my most thoughtful students likes grapes as well.”

“I take it that’s me?” Finn said cautiously.

The Professor rolled his eyes. “Yes, it’s you. Follow along, would you? Anyway, then I remembered that Rey could probably stand to get some fruit in her, too. And here you are, the both of you. And here’s your grapes.” He gestured broadly at the bags, as if he expected the both of them to start eating right away.

Rey looked at him. 

The Professor gestured at the bags again. “Well?”

“Thanks,” Finn said slowly, “for the grapes?”

“See you in class tomorrow,” the Professor said, then swirled out of the brewtique, a vision in a sun-faded bathrobe and flip-flops.

“Yes, before you ask, he’s always like that,” Rey said firmly, and then plucked a few grapes from the bag. They weren’t bad, of course. 

“No, it’s cool.” Finn ate a few grapes as well. “Wasn’t even going to ask.”

“So,” Rey felt emboldened suddenly. “I’m going down to the beach with a couple friends tonight. Nothing fancy. We were just going to hang out. The town does fireworks every night on the beach in the summer, it’s pretty cool. So… you wanna come?”

Finn smiled. “I kept hoping you’d ask.”

\---

The four of them - Rey, Finn, Jessika, and Poe - met up on the boardwalk that evening. Jessika suggested they stop for ice cream first - “Gracie and the Dudes, it’s like, all organic and healthy,” - and then they took their sundaes and cones down to the beach.

“So this dude,” Jessika gestured to Poe with her plastic ice cream spoon, “hooked up with the owner at Cassian’s the other night.”

“His name,” Poe said proudly, “is Cassian, by the way. And we didn’t just hook up, because we’re going out to dinner Saturday night.”

“About damn time,” Jessika muttered. “You were always so shy.”

“You hooked up with the owner?” Rey said through a mouthful of peppermint chip ice cream. 

“I did.” Poe jerked a thumb at Finn. “Hooked up with that guy, too. Last summer.”

Rey looked at Finn.

Finn shrugged. “Bisexuality. It’s a thing.”

Rey shrugged. “Seems legit.”

“It was a chilly night,” Poe said thoughtfully. “And I lent him my jacket.”

“I never gave it back either.” Finn smiled. “I mean, I tried to…”

Poe bit his lip. “But it looked good on you. Anyway,” he waved his hand vaguely, “summer fling.”

Rey nodded. A summer fling might be fun, but… well....

Well, she and Finn hadn’t even kissed yet, let alone done anything that could be classified as a fling. 

“For your personal and hopefully necessary information,” Poe said, waggling his eyebrows at Rey. He couldn’t hold the look though and ended up with a big smile on his face. “Finn is a good kisser.”

“Well.” Rey concentrated hard on her ice cream cone. Had to eat it just right, or it would melt down her fingers in the heat. “Well.”

“It’s good information,” Jessika prompted.

Rey nodded. “It’s good information.”

A bit later, Finn collected what little trash they had and went to throw it away at the trash can stationed next to the steps leading back up to the boardwalk. Rey accompanied him.

“So you’re a junior at Monmouth?” she asked.

“Rising junior, I guess?” Finn dumped the trash, then wiped his hands on the seat of his shorts. “Am I a junior yet if I’m taking summer classes?”

“I guess.” She shrugged. “What are you studying?”

“Economics.” He looked at her. “I want to open my own business one day. Maybe I’ll be a small business owner?

A little ways down the beach, several people had cordoned off a small area in preparation for the fireworks. Rey watched them with interest.

“I like the freedom of the idea,” Finn continued. “I won’t know until I try it, of course, but… Maybe I’ll own a coffee shop one day.”

Rey smirked. “You mean a brewtique?”

Finn chuckled at that. “I definitely don’t mean a brewtique.”

A moment later, the first of the fireworks exploded in a dazzle of red and green sparkles. Finn entwined his somewhat ice cream-sticky fingers with Rey’s.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked, as the beach lit up in neon blue and gold.

Rey turned and smiled. “I kept hoping you’d ask.”

And yes, he was exactly as good a kisser as Poe said he would be.

**Author's Note:**

> This was hella fun to write. Does a coffee shop AU need a sequel?
> 
> Comments, questions, and feedback are warmly welcomed!


End file.
